Garment supporting means



July 12, 194:9 R. TEMPLE 2,476,122

GARMENT SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Nov. 23, 1945 Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT SUPPORTING MEANS Robert Temple, Chevy Chase, Md.

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 39,175

Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in garment supporting means, and more -,-particularly to such improvements in supporting means which may .be in the form of a band adapted to surround and engage a part of the body of the wearer for supporting garments of various types.

In general, the invention is concerned with the provision of a garment supporting band which may be in the form of a garter adapted to snugly engage -a part of the body of the wearer in order to thereby support the garment. The garter band may be formed as a part of the garment to be supported or it may be adapted to be separably attached thereto. In either case, the "gripping action of the band is independent of elastic threads or material such (as are commonly employed in stretchable elastic or rubber garters. Hence, the supporting band of the present .inve'ntion may "be made of inelastic materials, although elastic materials may be incorporated therein when desired. More specifically, and as illustrated, the invention is concerned with the provision of a garter b'an'd'wh'ich is well adapted Tor use in supporting limb covering apparel, such as stockings, socks, gloves and the like, although it is by no means limited .to such uses.

An object of t'the'present invention is to provide a supporting "band which is constructed and arranged so as to become 'c'ircum'ferentially contracted into garment supporting .pos'ition upon relatively s I igl'it "axial elongation or extension thereof.

.A'nother object of the invention is to provide a supporting band oi theabove type which is .particularly well adapted to initially stretched and tight'fittinggarments, such as a stocking, which "is inherently elastic 'sotha't the initial stretching thereof on the leg of the wearer will result in a constant downward pull on 'thes'uppor ting band, thus tending to maintain the band in contracted gripping contact with "the leg or other part or the body of'the wearer.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide fa supporting "band "of "the above type which consists at least in part of a plurality of interwoven elements which .are arranged in such diagonal relationship that a. "very slight snort to axially elongate the band will result in substantial in- "warfltrradial'coiitrationtnereor.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside view of a stocking showing the supporting band formed ,as a part thereof and in non-supporting position on the leg of a wearer.

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, but showing the band in longitudinally extended and leg pp n position to support the stocking.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail showing a supporting band made of a plurality of strip-"like elements and in non-.sup,portinje Position.

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, but showing .the relative positions of the strip elements in garment supporting position.

Fig. '5 is a view, similar to Fig. but howin a modified form of strip element, each consisting oia pluralityofstra'nds- Fig. .6 is afragmenitary and somewhat diagrammatic view showing a iurther modified form of band.

Fig. '7 is .an enlarged fragmentary detail .view showing the way in which the .free ends of the strip-like elements maybe interlocked.

Referring more .in detail to .the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and2 thereof at this time, the invention .is illustrated in connection with asto'cking of anysuitable type which includes :a leg portion 10 and .a top rein.- iorcing .band .porltion fll. .The supporting band or garter element pit the present invention is somewhat diagrammaticallyshown in ,Figs. land 2 as including sets of interwoven strands or threads .14, Ma, thestrands .l 4 beingsubstantially parallel to each other .and d sposed diag nal y with respect to the strands Ha which are also substantially ,parallel to each other. The strands or threads may be .made .of .anysuitable material which may .be substantially inelastic. The lower ends of the strands are suitably secured to the band portion H of the stocking and the upper .ends thereof ,may be tied .or otherwise suitably secured to a band 1'5. 'Thi'sbandli may beelastic and merely serves .as an attaching element vfor pr perly main aining the .strands .in position.

.The relative .angular disposition .of the strands "I' l, Ma in the non-gripping position of Fig. l is such that .each strand is iperinherally separated. Thus, to facilitate putting on the stocking, the

3 band 12 may be peripherally extended if no longitudinal pull is exerted thereon. As the stocking is stretched over the leg, it is longitudinally stretched against its inherent resiliency so that it will tend to move downwardly on the leg. The band I2 is now extended upwardly on the leg and this upward pull on the strands M, Ma will, by reason of the diagonal arrangement of the strands, cause the band to contract and press against the leg of the wearer, thus serving as a leg gripping support for the stocking. It will be seen that the longitudinal or axial pull exerted on the band l2 will cause the strands 14, Ma to closely approach one another as suggested in Fig. 2, and the entire band l2 will be radially contracted to grip the leg of the wearer. After the original setting of the stocking and the band l2, it should be noted that the downward pull of the stretched stocking on the band I2 is of sufiicient force to maintain the original setting of the garter band. Thus, no elastic garter elements are required and the tight stretching of the stocking due to its inherent elasticity, will tend to maintain the band [2 in contracted and gripping relation to the leg of the wearer.

A preferred construction of the supporting band is shown fragmentarily in Figs. 3, 4 and '7, wherein the band I6 consists of a plurality of fiat strip-like elements l1, l8 diagonally interwoven with respect to each other. In this form of the invention, the strips may be somewhat elastic, if so desired, as there is substantial surface contact between the lapping portions of the strips and less longitudinal pull is required to cause the band to be contracted into gripping position. The strips may be made of any suitable material but a material, such as a copolymer vinyl or nylon plastic, is considered to be highly satisfactory. As previously pointed out, the lower ends of the diagonally arranged interwoven strips [1, I8 may be secured to the reinforcing band ll of the stocking and the upper ends may be secured to any type of band. However, the individual strips may be looped upon themselves with both ends secured to the band I l, as shown in Fig. '7, so that the upper looped ends can remain free and unsecured. As shown in Fig. 3, there are spaces between the strips which may be widened when the stocking is being put on. However, when the upper edge of the Supporting band I6 is pulled upwardly against the action of the stretched stocking, the band I6 will be contracted by relative sliding of the strips to grip the leg of the wearer and the strips l1, I8 will assume the closed positions shown in Fig. 4, these positions being the contracted leg gripping positions. The stretched stocking will maintain the band [B in supporting position. The spacing between the interwoven elements of the garter, or the looseness of the weave is an important factor in controlling the degree of elongation and consequent peripheral contraction of the garter band.

In the form Of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the band 16a is somewhat similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, except that each individual diagonally arranged strip Ila, 1811 consists of a plurality of separate strands IQ of suitable material. The action of the band I Be is otherwise the same, but greater stretching and contracting will be permitted. As in the case of the strips shown in Fig. 3, there is substantial surface contact between the lapping portions of the strips 11a, 18a so 1511s to effect greater gripping action with less pu A further modification is shown in Fig. 6 in .4 which the band 20 is illustrated as including areas 21 of a multiplicity of structural elements such as threads, strips or the like, which may be separated by areas 22 of elastic material or construction. The areas 2| are constructed according to one of the supporting bands heretofore described but the elastic areas 22 permit greater stretching of the band as a whole. This band may be secured directly to the stocking as previously described, or it may serve as a separate garter element in which case the areas 2| should be equipped with suitable releasable fasteners 23 (only one being shown) adapted for attachment to the reinforcing band of the stocking or other garment to be supported. The downward pull of the stocking acting through the fasteners 23 will tend to shorten or contract the peripheral length of the areas 2| so as to effect a gripping action against the legs of the wearer in the manner pointed out above.

The relative diagonal disposition of the interwoven elements of the supporting bands is such Y.

as to give the requisite amount of gripping action or contraction as the result of a predetermined extension of the band axially thereof, and will depend to some extent on the material used, as well as the character of the garment to be supported. For most uses, the materials and .arrangement of parts should be so selected that a slight downward force, such as that exerted by a stocking stretched on the leg of a wearer, is suflicient to maintain an originally set axial extension of the garter band so that the normal pull of a stocking while being worn will maintain the band contracted in garment supporting position. In some instances it may be desirable to have some stretchable elastic connection, such as an elastic band, between the garter band and the garment in order to maintain or augment the longitudinal strain on the garter band. The pull on the band will maintain the frictional holding contact between the body or the limb of the wearer and the lapping surfaces of the diagonal elements of the garter band.

While certain forms of the invention have been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of elements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A garter member for an inherently elastic garment which is stretched over the body or limb of the wearer, and comprising an annular band adapted to surround the body or limb of the wearer, said band being constructed of lapping and intersecting elements arranged so as to be: come peripherally contracted upon axial extension thereof, and adapted to be connected to the stretched garment whereby the elastic pull of the stretched garment on the garter member will maintain the band in contracted body or limb gripping position.

2. A garter member, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the band consists of a plurality of diagonally disposed interwoven strips having substantial surface contact between the lapping portions thereof.

, 3. A garter member, as claimed in claim .1, wherein the band includes peripherally spaced sections formed of diagonally interwoven elements arranged to peripherally contract upon longitudinal extension thereof.

4;. A garter member, as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the contractible band includes a plurality of diagonally arranged interwoven ele-- ments of substantially inelastic material.

5. A garter member, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the band includes diagonally interwoven substantially flat groups of strand elements having substantial surface contact between lapping groups to provide frictional holding surfaces.

6. In a garment adapted to be stretched over a portion of the body of the wearer, the provision of supporting means engaging and maintaining the garment in substantially the original stretched condition thereof over the body portion of the wearer and consisting of sets of diagonally disposed relatively movable lapped elements arranged for relative sliding in the lapped areas and effective to contract upon the body of the wearer upon application to said elements of forces acting in the direction of the forces of the stretched garment.

'7. A garter for garments having inherent elasticity and adapted to be stretched over a portion of the body of the wearer, and comprising a deformable band of relatively slidable interwoven elements adapted to be connected to the garment and arranged to contract upon the body of the wearer upon application to said elements of the reaction forces of the stretched garment whereby the stretched garment will maintain the garter in supporting position.

8. A garment adapted to be stretched over a portion of the body of the wearer and comprising a body covering portion, and a arter member for supporting the garment around the periphery thereof and including relatively slidable elements disposed angularly and lapped so as to contract against the body of the wearer upon application of forces reactive to the stretched condition of the garment.

9. A garment, as claimed in claim 8, in the form of hosiery wherein the garter member includes diagonally interwoven elements slidable relative to one another and adapted to contract against the body of the wearer upon the application thereto of forces reactive to the forces exerted by the stretched garment.

10. A garment support adapted to surround the body or limb of the wearer and to be attached to the garment and comprising a deformable annular band including a plurality of interwoven elements cross-ed and slidable relative to one another so as to eifect peripheral contraction of the band upon limited axial extension thereof whereby the band will grip the body or limb of the wearer to support the garment under influence of the reactive forces within the garment acting on the support.

11. A garment support adapted to surround the body or limb of the wearer and to be attached to the garment and comprising a deformable annular band including set-s of intersecting and lapping elongated elements diagonally v nd slidably arranged with respect to each other for effecting peripheral contraction of the band upon slight longitudinal extension thereof whereby to grip the body or limb of the wearer in supporting the garment under influence of the reactive forces within the garment acting on the support.

12. A garment support adapted to surround the body or limb of the wearer and comprising a substantially inert deformable annular band including interwoven lapped and substantially inelastic elongated elements arranged for relative shifting therebetween in the lapped areas and effective to peripherally contract the band upon longitudinal strain thereon whereby the band will grip the body or limb of the wearer to support the garment, and said band having said elongated elements substantially free at one edge thereof but adapted to be connected to the garment at the opposite edge thereof.

13. A garment support as claimed in claim 12, wherein the elongated elements are doubled back upon themselves and interconnected at the free edges thereof.

14. In a stocking having a body portion provided with foot and leg sections, the provision of a garter section in the form of an annular band having the lower edge thereof connected to the leg section, said garter section including sets of diagonally disposed strand elements with the elements of each set alternately overlapping and underlapping elements of another set and said elements being relatively slidable with respect to each other and the angular disposition thereof being such as to effect contraction of the garter section under influence of the longitudinalpull exerted by the body portion on the said elements.

15. A garter for supporting a garment adapted to be stretched over a portion of the body of the wearer and comprising an annular band consisting of peripherally spaced elastic sections separated by connected inelastic sections, said inelastic sections formed of diagonally interwoven elements arranged to peripherally contract upon longitudinal extension thereof, and connector members secured to said inelastic sections and adapted to be connected to the garment whereby the pull of the garment through said connector members will contract said inelastic sections with resultant gripping of the band upon the body of the wearer.

ROBERT TEMPLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,296,442 Thompson Mar. 4, 1919 2,164,278 Kellems June 27, 1939 2,190,560 Gaines Feb. 13, 1940 2,238,058 Johnson et al Apr. 15, 1941 2,351,199 Fry June 13, 1944 2,359,463 Bullinger Oct. 3, 1944 2,368,714 Lang Feb. 6, 1945 2,380,272 Sutter July 10, 1945 

